Tahlequah Man Pleads Guilty To 2007 Denney Christmas Murders

More than a decade after a family discovered their loved ones dead on Christmas morning, the suspect charged with their murders pleaded guilty to the two shootings.

Thursday, Justin Walker pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder.

Family members said they are pleased with the sentence. The guilty plea means the family won’t have to sit through a trial and Justin Walker will go to prison.

“This is one of the biggest mysteries that we’ve had here, and today ended it,” Cherokee County District Attorney Jack Thorp said.

The Denney’s daughter, Sarah, along with her husband and their children were coming over to exchange gifts when they made the discovery on Christmas morning, that Jack and Elaine were dead.

Cherokee County Undersheriff Jason Chennault was at the scene in Locust Grove that day in 2007.

“I was on call,” Chennault said. “I was just getting ready to sit down and have our Christmas meal.”

He said this is the longest he’s ever worked on a case.

Related Story: Family Relieved To Get Answers In 2007 Christmas Murder Case  

“It’s something we think about every day,” he said. “And it’s finally over.”

A judge sentenced Walker to 40 years in prison, which will run separately from the 10 years he’ll serve for an unrelated federal case.

“For us, that’s gonna be 50 years, and we don’t anticipate that he’ll be out killing anybody ever again,” Thorp said.

The plea deal comes after years of investigating, and one tip that proved to be a breakthrough for the case.

Thorp said the tip came from a mental health professional who remembered a conversation she had with Walker.

“I think God was working. God was working, and that was the right person hearing it at the right time,” Thorp said. “And just that one little phone call lead to this. Victory for justice.”

Investigators encourage anyone who knows something about an ongoing case to speak up, and never assume investigators already know the information you have.